CHI WHITE SOX: HITTING: The departure of Juan Pierre opens things up for SS ALEXEI RAMIREZ to hit leadoff. 2B GORDON BECKHAM will get a fresh start, but his leash is shortening. 1B PAUL KONERKO faded last year. He's potential trade bait for the rebuilding Sox. Did DH ADAM DUNN need a year to adjust to A.L. pitching and DHing? With his contract, the Sox will have to find out. OF ALEJANDRO DE AZA's late-season surge probably wasn't for real, but it was enough to get him the inside track on a starting job with Carlos Quentin having been dealt to the Padres on New Year's Eve. OF ALEX RIOS has bounced back before, but at his age the odds are longer now. The organization believes in OF DAYAN VICIEDO. His improving approach and power fit well in U.S. Cellular, but he could platoon with KOSUKE FUKUDOME in left field. C A.J. PIERZYNSKI has motivation for one more solid season as free agency looms. 3B BRENT MOREL is good glove, but has a limited stick. OF/1B BRENT LILLIBRIDGE has an improving bat and can play just about anywhere. STARTING PITCHING: JOHN DANKS doesn't look like a true No. 1 starter, but he keeps consistently throwing strikes and has some swing-and-miss stuff. Maybe it's because he's fallen short of his once-elite prospect status, but GAVIN FLOYD seems to get no respect as a quality middle-of-the-rotation arm. He was especially good after adding a cutter/slider-type pitch last year. JAKE PEAVY isn't going to win another Cy Young, but unlike last year, his shoulder should be close to 100 percent. The big question will again be whether, as a flyball pitcher, he can keep the ball in the park at cozy U.S. Cellular. PHILIP HUMBER was a nice surprise in 2011, but don't be fooled. It wasn't a former top prospect finally figuring it out. It was a back-of-the-rotation arm getting some good breaks. CHRIS SALE will make the move to the rotation. He'll likely be on some pitch counts, but this is an exciting development. With his stuff (he already has a solid changeup to go with his fastball/slider combo) he has monster upside. RELIEF PITCHING: With closer Sergio Santos shipped off to Toronto, youngster ADDISON REED figures to be the top candidate to close games. Any young closer is a risk, but Reed's fastball/slider combo has been dominant over two pro seasons. Lefty MATT THORNTON might have blown his chance to claim the closer role last year. He had regained his form as a top set-up man late in the year, but if Reed falters he might be no more than a committee guy. JESSE CRAIN chased strikeouts more aggressively last year, but he also issued more walks. He may miss the first couple weeks of the season with an oblique injury.

KANSAS CITY: HITTING: With Melky Cabrera gone, OF LORENZO CAIN will get first crack at leadoff and centerfield. If he falters, speedster JASON BOURGEOIS, vet MITCH MAIER and prospect WIL MYERS are waiting. Former Brewer YUNIESKY BETANCOURT will start at 2B and has good life in his bat for a middle infielder. OF ALEX GORDON may not hit for average, but his approach and power are there. DH BILLY BUTLER is rock solid, but it's fair to wonder whether his power will ever progress. 1B ERIC HOSMER has MVP-type upside, and he's on the verge of figuring out MLB pitching. OF JEFF FRANCOEUR still chases too many bad pitches, but the organization likes him and he still has some pop and speed. 3B MIKE MOUSTAKAS is too good for the minors, but he still hasn't caught up to major-league pitching. There's a good chance he finds his groove this year. C HUMBERTO QUINTERO will be the main backstop with BRAYAN PENA backing him up. Speedy SS ALCIDES ESCOBAR's bat hasn't caught up to his glove. STARTING PITCHING: K.C. once again hopes this is the year LUKE HOCHEVAR puts it all together. His velocity picked up late last year, allowing him to be more than a groundball guy. Lefty BRUCE CHEN's late-career renaissance continues. He'll be a reliable veteran arm in the middle of K.C.'s rotation again. FELIPE PAULINO has the biggest upside in this rotation. He's always had one of MLB's best fastballs. His problem was that, when he missed (which has been often), it was usually belt-high and over the middle of the plate. If he hits his spots as he did late last year, he's got potential. But Paulino will start the season on the DL with a sore elbow. The Royals hope to solve JONATHAN SANCHEZ's command issues. The lefty is a risk, but has legitimate No. 3 potential. Top prospect DANNY DUFFY will get every chance to pitch his way into the Opening Day rotation. RELIEF PITCHING: JOAKIM SORIA is out for the season with Tommy John surgery, leaving GREG HOLLAND to pick up closer duties. Holland was the Royals' best bullpen arm in 2011 and his stuff has always been nearly unhittable. It's just a matter of whether last year's vastly improved walk rate was for real. JONATHAN BROXTON was a disaster last season, but he'll be given every chance to become the No. 2 guy in this bullpen because of his experience in Los Angeles. AARON CROW was a first-round pick (twice) for his college career as a starter, but wore down late last year, and walked too many batters.

When Jeremy Guthrie beat the Chicago White Sox in August, there's no way he could have realized it would be the beginning of an unbeaten streak that's only been seen one other time in Kansas City Royals history.

Now he can't stop hearing about it.

After Friday's originally scheduled series opener was wiped out due to freezing rain, Guthrie looks to extend his streak to 17 starts without a loss Saturday night as the Royals host the White Sox in this now-extended three-game set.

After allowing six hits and striking out five in 6 2-3 innings of a 9-0 win over Cleveland on Sunday, Guthrie improved to 8-0 with a 2.44 ERA over his last 16 starts. The unbeaten streak, which began with a 2-1 win over the White Sox on Aug. 8, ties the Royals' franchise record set by Paul Splittorff spanning the 1977 and 1978 seasons.

"I knew it's been a number of starts in a row, because people kept reminding me of it," said Guthrie, who is 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA in five starts in 2013. "Ultimately, it means a lot because hopefully the guys behind me when I go out are confident that we have a chance to win the game."

Guthrie, who hasn't won more than 11 games in his career and hasn't had a winning season since 2007, has seemed to rejuvenate his career in Kansas City after being acquired from Colorado in July.

"I have the kind of confidence I want to go into each start (thinking) that good stuff or not, I can keep us in it and give us a chance to win the game," Guthrie said.

The right-hander has been stellar against the White Sox since being traded to the Royals, going 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA as Kansas City has won each of his five starts. He's struck out 28 and walked three over 35 2-3 innings.

Kansas City (15-10) should be well rested as it looks for its third straight victory. Its series finale versus Tampa Bay on Thursday was postponed after 3 1/2 innings due to snow, and freezing rain wiped out Friday's game.

The teams will now finish their three-game set Monday, an originally scheduled day off for both clubs.

"I used to worry about these kinds of things, but not anymore. There's nothing you can do about it," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We'll play when we can play."

Injuries have been an issue for the White Sox, though they took the final two of a three-game set at Texas with Thursday's 3-1 victory. Scheduled starter Jake Peavy was scratched earlier in the day because of back spasms, but Tyler Flowers hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning to provide all the offense Chicago (12-15) would need.

Hector Santiago was scheduled to pitch in this opener but had to be moved up to replace Peavy, putting Dylan Axelrod in line to start. Gavin Floyd is on the disabled list with a flexor muscle strain in his right arm.

"I think every day you go through the list and figure out who's available, and the training room's full," manager Robin Ventura said. "It's just part of playing the game. You just deal with it."

Axelrod (0-1, 3.95) has given up a total of six runs while pitching six innings in each of his last three starts. He didn't get a decision in any of those outings, though, including after giving up three runs to Tampa Bay in an 8-3 loss Sunday.

The right-hander has never started against Kansas City, though he earned the victory after pitching two scoreless innings of relief in a 9-8 win July 13.